Napleton blast lifts Rockers past Flying Boxcars

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers completed an improbable comeback over the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars on Wednesday, afternoon, taking an 11-10 win after erasing a six-run deficit to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Down by six runs at 10-4 in the sixth inning, the Rockers took the lead in the eighth when Luke Napleton crushed a 462-foot two run home run to center to give the Rockers an 11-10 advantage.

The comeback tied a club record for largest comeback in team history. High Point had trailed Gastonia 8-2 in 2025 before rebounding for a 13-12 victory.

After Hagerstown jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Ivan Melendez answered back for High Point, clubbing a two-run homer to put the Rockers ahead 2-1in the bottom of the first. The round-tripper marked Melendez’s fourth straight game with a home run, tying a club record for most consecutive games with a homer.

In the third, Hagerstown crushed a pair of solo home runs to move ahead 3-2. Alex Isola and Baron Radcliff both left the yard. Cade Fergus added a homer of his own in the fourth, a two-run shot that put Hagerstown ahead 5-2.

High Point clawed back within one in the fourth when Nolan Watson and Aidan Brewer each drove in a run, but Hagerstown answered back with a four-run sixth that put the Flying Boxcars ahead 10-4.

The Rockers battled back when Ty Hubbard doubled home a run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 10-5.  Braxton Davidson and Mikey Kane clubbed back-to-back home runs in the seventh, Davidson’s with a man aboard, to pull High Point back to within a pair at 10-8.

In the bottom of the eighth, Watson reached on an error and scored on a double by Skender to make it a one-run game. Napleton then belted his go-ahead two-run homer that gave the Rockers the 11-10 lead.

Michael Brewer (L, 1-2) took the loss, two hits and three runs in his lone inning of work. Hagerstown starter Brennen Oxford, a former Wake Forest University pitcher, had allowed eight runs and 11 hits over his seven innings and departed with a 10-8 lead.

Alec Barger put the Boxcars down in order in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Stefan Raeth (W, 1-0), making his debut in a Rockers uniform, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth to earn the win.

High Point moves to 7-4 in the second half and 36-38 for the season as Hagerstown falls to 6-5, 47-27.

Game three of this six-game set is slated to begin Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The Rockers will send Justin Jarvis (2-4, 6.03) to the mound opposed by southpaw Tommy Kane (4-2, 6.02) for Hagerstown. Rocker fans can follow the action live on DugoutTV.org or the audio broadcast on the free MixLR app.

NOTES: The Rockers placed OF Ryan McCarthy on the inactive list and signed utility player Quincy Nieporte. Nieporte was a member of the Rockers in 2021 and 2024.